Chapter 7

The Gift

     Hunter was only used to spending hours at a clip in art, book, comic, indie music, and vintage clothing stores but here he was at the Point Place mini mall with his money from his dishwashing job at the diner looking at jewelry Christmas present ideas for Megan.  He begged his Father to wake up early and asked if they could sneak out of the house and go out for breakfast because he didn't want his Mother making a fuss over him.  Normally, Hyde wouldn't have gotten out of bed after having such a late night having a whipped cream play fight with Jackie, but for his son and knowing how important this was for him he got out of bed, took a shower, and got dressed.  But he didn't sneak out of the house, he just kissed Jackie good morning and was still on his once a day heart medication as she was having morning coffee with Donna and said he was taking Hunter out.  He didn't even mention that their son and Megan got back together.  He was certain Megan when she woke up would tell everyone.  He gave Hunter an hour of free time, as he didn't want to spend all day in a mini mall during the holiday rush shopping and went to see if he could find something corny and sentimental for Jackie.  He already bought her real presents this was just a little extra.  There was only one thing Hunter wanted to buy for Megan, but he couldn't buy it this Christmas, and he didn't want to buy it at the Point Place mini mall.  He looked at the jewelry in the glass case.  The only jewelry Megan wore on a regular basis was her watch and her silver birthstone stud earrings.

"May, I help you?"  asked the young sales woman, who wore fifties style pointed glasses.

"I'm just looking," then Hunter had an idea, for once they were going to dupe their parents, it wasn't malicious he just wanted them to have some privacy without their folks knowing everything, "Actually—I'd like to see the purple box."

It was the only purple box on the shelf.  He was so nervous about this. He hoped that the great and all-powerful Wizard of Hyde wouldn't be able to read it on his face when they met up in the food court in fifteen minutes.  For once he'd like his relationship with Megan to be private.   Just because they were teenagers it didn't give their parents the right to stick their noses in every little detail of it.  Not that he wasn't touched over their concerns during their brief break up, he only wanted something private with Megan that no one else would know about until the right time came for them to share the news.   Now Hunter's only concern was when they could have an alone moment for him to give his gift to her. 

"What do you think?"  the woman behind the counter asked him

He picked up the small box and handed it to her, "I'll take it, but no bag, please.  I can put it in my jacket pocket."

'Megan, would you—'

'Megan, will you—'

'Please say you will—'

Hunter nervously thought to himself before meeting up with Hyde.

It's Nice To See You Smile Again

     Eric was surprised that Megan wanted to spend the day Christmas shopping with him.  She didn't know Hunter went out with his Dad.  It made her happy that they thought alike even when they weren't aware of it.  They were in Kenosha because they had better stores and she wanted to get Hunter a special present.  They were in the card shop looking at the limited edition ornaments.  Eric was curious of how and when they got back together?  It didn't happen this morning because Hyde and Hunter were already out of the house.  It had to have happened last night.  He wondered if anything else happened last night?  His little girl was growing up too fast.  

"You should get this for Mom."  She pointed to the vintage typewriter ornament

"That's a good idea, but I won't take credit for it."  Eric kissed her on the head and grabbed one.  It was nice to see her smiling again.

"Can I go by myself to look for other gifts?"   Translation: I want to buy my present for Hunter without you there.

"Okay, but meet me by the water fountain in forty-five minutes.  Let's synchronize our watches."

'Dad, don't be a geek—well, you are a geek, but I love you anyway'  "Okay."

He trusted Megan, but it always made him feel uneasy letting her go wander off in a mall. There were a lot of psychos in the world who would try to take advantage of a girl in a wheelchair. But Donna Velcro taped a small whistle to the arm of her chair.  She never had to use it for a real emergency, only when she used to play with Hannah.  It felt odd that she didn't miss her.  She had spent most of her childhood playing with Hannah and they were 'best friends' but when she and Hunter found each other in THAT way Hannah Hyde did not matter anymore. And after her and Hunter broke up and she thought they would never be with each other again, it wasn't Hannah she thought of.  It was Hunter, with his loose dark wavy hair, green eyes, and most bashful smile that she missed.  She loved how he had his own clothing style and appreciated old clothes and of course his artistic talent.  She wondered when they were going to have sex for the first time?  Not sex, making love.  Sex was meant for quickies and but making love was forever.  She was nervous about the stuff in the "Enabling Romance" book.   Hunter would tell her "not to worry" but she would always worry about not being the kind of woman he deserved.  Juliet at the doctor's office made it sound so acceptably normal, but it wasn't.  If it were normal she wouldn't be paralyzed.  She loved Hunter with all of her heart and she didn't want to be without him. He was such a gentleman who didn't pressure on her to 'Do It'.  She did want him so badly and she didn't know when it would be the right moment for their first time.  She only hoped that it would make them stronger as a couple. 

        Once they returned back to the Forman house Hunter took the roll of wrapping paper, tape, and packet of bows that Donna offered and went upstairs to their master bedroom to wrap Megan's gift making sure to lock the door to keep nosy twin sister's and over excited Mother's out. 

"He's so cute," Jackie said, "Did YOU buy me anything, Steven?"

"You know how I feel about the crass commercialization of Christmas and other

holidays."  Hyde said pretending to be interested in the newspaper.

"That means you did!"  She kissed him on the head, and went to get him something to drink.

"She's something." 

Donna said as she wrapped one of Megan's presents, a bottle of the only perfume she could wear that did not cause any allergies or rashes.   It cost two hundred dollars an ounce but Donna only bought it once a year.   It was called

"Morning" and it smelled like the softest roses.  She liked it too, but she wanted it to be Megan's scent.

"Yeah, but I love her."  Hyde replied

"Aww! Steven, I should've brought you a beer for that!"  Jackie handed him a soda can.

"The soda's fine.  Sit down, Jackie—"

"I can't because Hannah decided that after you and Hunter left that she wanted to go shopping, but I was busy with Donna---"

"I'll take her."

"You just got back taking Hunter shopping."

"So?  Sit down.  Donna—make her relax."

"You know I like Christmas, Steven."  But not as much as she liked the sacred holy day known as St. Valentine's Day.

He took one more drink from the soda can before standing up, "Hannah," 

She ran downstairs she knew her Father's battle cry.

"Are you taking me shopping, Daddy?"

"Yeah—are you ready?"

"I'll be ready in five minutes."  She ran back upstairs.

"Thanks, honey, I really didn't feel like driving her." 

Hannah did have her learner's permit but Jackie didn't know if she was allowed to drive out of state and since it was snowing she didn't want Hannah to drive in the lousy weather, either.

"I know."  He kissed her on the lips. 

Donna was slightly jealous.  Her and Eric were a comfortable routine ('whose fault was that?') they weren't spontaneous like Jackie and Hyde.  They didn't change much from when they were teenagers themselves, except Hyde opened up a little to Jackie and the kids.  Jackie was still perky, materialistic, and capitalistic but she had a care, compassion, and concern for her Husband and kids, Donna was still a writer who carried the feminist torch, and WAS Sgt. Donna, ('damn, that nickname stuck! thanks, tiffany.') and Eric was still impressed with Star Wars and other nerdy things who let himself be ordered around after they settled into a comfortable routine raising their daughter.  The last thing he did out of defiance was tell her that he WASN'T going to take her back if she bailed on adopting Megan.  She put the bow on the box and put it in the desk drawer, as this was to go in Megan's stocking like it always did. 

"Jackie, I think Eric and I are in a rut---Jackie---" Donna turned around to find that Jackie had fallen asleep on her sofa.

They would never divorce again, it hurt too much and not to mention how much it would devastate Megan, but sometimes being married was quite boring, it really was like being shackled, although Donna realized now that BOTH genders could say that they felt like a prisoner, it wasn't just the women who could use that reasoning anymore.  Since Hunter was upstairs in their room wrapping Megan's present, Donna decided to take a long hot bath in Megan's bathtub, she would just have to remember to reinstall her shower chair just incase she wanted to use it tonight.  She wished that her and Eric were better, more free spirited like it never really was but how you could convince yourself of how you thought it used to be.  When in reality deep down in your soul you knew better.

~Donna's flashback~

~after the ted nugent concert and a few days before the promise ring break up~

(note-my own take)

     Donna and Jackie were at The Hub after school.  They were alone and Donna was glad that the guys were not around.  She was in no mood to hear about Kelso's lunatic ramblings, Fez' whining about being a virgin, any of Hyde's conspiracies theories, and she didn't want to see Eric.  She was surprised that he wasn't glued to her hip but he had a dentist check up (author's note: I figured that could be a routine check up and on the show when eric is at the hub with kitty and donna comes drunk in with casey, that would have been the follow up visit for a filling or something to that effect.) and had to leave school early. 

"Donna!   Donna!  Hello, I'm talking about ME here!"  Jackie said

"W-what?  Did you say something, Jackie?"  Which seemed to be like asking

if March followed February.  Jackie was ALWAYS talking.

"Are you okay?"

'Why does he have our roles so clearly defined?  Why is IT me he fell in love with?  Is Eric really in love with me? OR is it just because I'm the girl next store and it's convenient?'

"N-Y-I don't know."  Donna pushed her French fries away she couldn't eat another bite.

"Oh, I get it.  Did you and Eric have another spat?"

"We're like an old married couple and we shouldn't be that.  We're just kids, really."

"What did he do this time?"  Jackie asked

Sometimes Donna WAS the wrong one in these matters, but Jackie couldn't bring herself to tell Donna that, the lumberjack could kick her ass!  She did feel bad for Eric though.  Jackie always wanted to be married and have kids and Eric also wanted those things, which was rare in a guy so young, but Donna always had to act like Susan B. 'Damn' Anthony all the time and think that everything he did was against her.  And against all of modern womankind.  Not that Eric and the rest of the guys couldn't be sexist but most men grow out of that Neanderthal way of thinking once they finally realized how the real world works.  Still, Eric despite being scrawny and a bit of a geek in the A-V club loved Donna very much and he wanted to marry her and be the Father of their children.  What was so wrong with that?  Jackie thought that was most romantic.  If only Michael felt that way regarding her she'd be one happy popular cheerleader.

"Nothing specific.  He just doesn't want me to have an identity apart from being Eric'sGirlfriend as if it were one word.  I was bored and read one of my old short stories last night from when I was in Jr. High.  I totally forgot I wrote it.  The girl character is from Oregon and got a full scholarship at NYU but her boyfriend was against it.  That is SO Eric.  He thinks my job at the radio station cuts into his as he puts it his 'Eric time'.  He just doesn't think about MY feelings at all."

"Did you talk to Eric about this or just scream at him like you usually do?"  Okay, she could say that much, but she still put her body as far back on the chair as it could go hoping Donna wouldn't slap her with her giant hands.

"Jackie!  Whose side are you on?"

"It's not about sides.  If a relationship is going to work you have to have real intelligent conversations with your significant other."

"And just how many real intelligent conversations have you ever had with Kelso?"

"That was low, Pinciotti.  I know Michael is a doofus.  But Eric isn't, not really.  He really loves you.  Instead of being grumpy in here with me you should go home and see if he's back from the dentists yet."

"I'm sorry if I was rude to you, Jackie, and right now the last person I want to face is Eric," Donna looked at her watch, "I have to go to work now.  I'll call you later if you want to go to the mall or something."  So, she couldn't go to Eric's house to see if he was back home yet even if she wanted to.  But she didn't want to and that scared her tremendously.

"Donna! YOU want to go shopping?" 

"I know—better look out the window for the flying pigs."  Donna said, forcing herself to smile as she grabbed her school gear and ran out of The Hub. 

She he had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that herself and Eric were not going to be together much longer.

~End flashback~

     Hunter was probably the only guy he knew to actually like wrapping gifts; it was a sort of an artistic activity.  The wrapping paper was snow falling on a log cabin scene.  He took apart the bow with the nail scissors that were on the dresser and made these curled ribbons out of it.  The white ribbon matched the snow on the wrapping paper. Then he took a blue ribbon and did the same thing.   He couldn't wait to give Megan her present.  He had the scene all mapped out in his head; he just wished he could send all of the parents plus Hannah to Jupiter for the evening, as he wanted the moment to be private.  It had to be.   He stayed in the empty bedroom for a while to enjoy the peace and quiet.  He looked at the pictures on the end tables. On the table that housed the alarm clock was a picture of Donna, Eric, and Megan when she was three years old.  On the other end table there was a mini book of Star Wars quotes (guess who?)

and a more recent picture of Donna, Megan, and Eric from about a year ago. She was so beautiful.  He knew she didn't think so and that was just wrong because she had piercing blue eyes even if she couldn't see much out of them without her glasses on, her hair was light brown and when she would curl it, it made her even more attractive. And ever since he's known her she's always been independent, thanks to her parents making sure she didn't grow up to be dependant on others just because she was in a wheelchair. She was smart and funny and all he could think about was her sweetness.  He wondered when they were going to 'Do It' for the first time?  He wasn't going to pressure her; he just couldn't wait for their relationship to progress to that stage.  Hunter knew that she had reservations about it because of her handicaps, but all he wanted to do was be with her and he never saw Megan once and thought 'wheelchair'.  He thought of her as a whole person, even when they were just little kids and didn't care about each other in THAT special romantic way.  He grabbed the small wrapped box and held it in his hands as he lie down.  He was tired all of a sudden and he figured he might as well take a nap now because he wasn't going to wait for Christmas day to give Megan her present; he was going to do it tonight.  He fell asleep with Megan's present in his hands.  Dreaming of her.

       Eric nervously looked at his watch and then around the perimeter again.  Megan was late.  Okay, she was only a minute and a half late.  But he still was ready to find a policeman. 

"I'm here, Dad!"  Megan called out from the opposite way.  She figured he had to be worried on her whereabouts when she was only a couple of minutes late!

Eric felt a sigh of relief.  "Did you get everything you wanted?" 

"Yeah."  She had two bags on her lap

"What did you get me?" 

She let him, like she did Hunter, push her chair.  If it made them feel like a part of things by 'helping' her out then she was only glad to let them do it.

"I can't tell you, Dad!"  

Megan had a small job helping a neighbor when she was thirteen years old, it was the only job she ever had so far in her young life.  She made a hundred dollars doing little odd jobs and doing what she could in helping around the house.  Eric put the money in a special account for her and she didn't touch it until today three years later, she was able to just spend the interest. 

"Aww, Megan, come on, did you buy me a blow up Darth Vader?"

"No!"  She laughed

"Can you give me a hint?  Just a tiny clue—"

"It's for you AND Mom." 

"Is it bigger than a breadbox?"

"I can't tell you, Dad."

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, but can we eat when we get home?"

"You want to have lunch with Hunter, don't you? Okay, we'll just get something to drink in the van."

"And a hot pretzel."  Megan smiled

"It's nice to see you smile again, Megan, I've missed that."  Eric said

"Dad, stop, you're making me blush!"

"And that's a bad thing?  Can you give me another clue on my Christmas present?"

"Nope.  I want the pretzel sticks."  Her Mother never let her eat stuff like that when they went out, that was one of the reasons why that she liked going shopping with her Dad.

"With the cheese sauce, right?  Okay—what did you get Hunter?  I can be your secret squirrel.  You can trust your old man."

"I can't tell you that, either!  I want a root beer with my pretzel."

Eric put on a pretend sad face, "Fine.  You're no fun, Megan."

"Mom said you're cute when you whine."

"She did?"  He didn't think Donna thought much of him lately other than someone to take out the garbage.

"Yeah."

He wanted to ask his daughter 'When?' but he didn't want her to pick up on his and Donna's staleness, he wanted her to be young, in love with Hunter, and happy.  But romantic futures always go sour.  No one gets the happy ending.  No matter how noble the effort.   But he hoped the kids could be the exception to the cruelest of life's rules.

Later

     Megan wheeled herself in her room when her and Eric got back from their shopping trip.  She was able to have her gift to Hunter wrapped and put in her drawer before he came down the ramp. 

"Megan, I missed you all day."  He kissed her on the lips

"Me too."  She motioned for him to sit on her lap

"I'd say we have about ten minutes before someone checks up on us, so we better make the most of it."

But after ten minutes of their soft making out went by they were still left alone. 

"Hmm, Hunter, why'd you stop?"

He kissed her on the cheek before getting up. 

"I can't wait any longer.  First, I have to say that you have to look at your present in a different way, it's sort of like our secret code---"

"Okay."  She replied in a happy nervous voice.

Hunter took the box out of his windbreaker pocket, he thought he and Megan could go for a stroll outside but he never got that far to ask her as they had kissed each other for a good solid ten minutes. He handed her the box.  She smiled before she even touched the wrapping paper.

"Don't open it yet.  I have something I'd like to say first."  He was so nervous; he thought he was going to have run to the bathroom before he started.

"What is it?"  she asked with a giggle

"Actually, open your present first---" He changed his mind.

Megan didn't want to ruin the pretty ribbons as she could tell he took them apart to make an even better decoration so she took them off gently and stuck them to her sweater.  It was a purple velvet jewelry box. She opened it slowly.  They were sterling silver lever back earrings with her birthstone in a small triangular dangly shape.  When Megan looked up she found Hunter on one knee and her heart started to pound rapidly in her throat.   He wasn't about to do what she thought he was going to do.  Was he?

"Megan Lynne Forman, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Will you marry me?"